It is often necessary to determine the location of an electronic module or circuit board, or a data storage module in a plurality of slots of an enclosure, such as a storage array enclosure, in which the module or circuit board is installed. For example, several slots or locations may hold identical modules having different functions within the system of such modules. Among the reasons for using identical modules are cost savings, and a reduction in the error rate associated with introducing an incorrect module into a bin which appears to be identical to other slots. Such modules are referred to as customer replaceable units (CRUs) or field replaceable units (FRUs). In order that a particular module operate in accordance with its desired function within a group of modules, the module needs to “know” in which slot it has been placed. Once its location is identified, pre-programmed circuitry in the module can perform properly. A similar situation exists for data storage modules within a storage array enclosure.
Existing solutions to this problem rely on a number of electrical pins having been reserved for this purpose in the electrical connector for a specific slot or bin, and sensed by the inserted CRUs and FRUs. However, with increasing complexity of functions for current CRUs and FRUs is such that there are insufficient uncommitted connection pins available for the specific function of slot location analysis.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus such that an electronic module or data storage module can determine in which slot it has been located and establish its particular function therein.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.